I am sorry to say this does not have as much Dramione action as I would have liked, if you prefer the fluffy type, though. I suggest One Day at a Time for your daily sugar needs; I'm told that it's quite hilarious. :]
Disclaimer: For what, the third time I'm using this disclaimer? I'm just a toddler in the JKRowling's sandbox, nothing more than that.
...
-Under Her Skin-
Not taking no for an answer, Harry dragged Hermione out of the library and Ron out of the Great Hall before stepping into his dormitories and locking the door.
He looked at her expectantly. "Hermione, would you…?"
"Of course, Harry." Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that this little talk of theirs would be in regards to what Harry had done after leaving dinner. She fondly thought of her own little experience and blushed slightly before returning to her set task of casting a silencing barrier around the room eliminating the possibility of eavesdroppers. "Silencella."
Ron licked the last bit of pumpkin juice from his lips, "So what's this about then? I promised Lavender I'd take her for a walk around the Great Lake later." A pointed look at Hermione.
"Not going to happen, Ron."
"I thought as much, but it doesn't mean I can't have fun with it." He'd been taking her rejection very light-heartedly lately. For that, she was grateful. Though perhaps his attitude would change if she were to tell him of Draco and her actions. Tactless brute or not, he would be hurt. Their bonds were likened to filial piety. You can dislike your blood relations as much as you want, but when it comes down to it; your loyalties will always lie with them.
"Focus."
They muttered their apologies to Harry who was looking quite stressed since less than twelve hours ago when they had last seen him.
He rubbed his jaw, one of Harry's tells; this was serious. "I think you two should sit for this."
Ron took a seat on the bed closest to them, while Hermione opted instead to sit at a desk; both attentive.
"My… scar." Hermione gasped but knew better than to interrupt. "It's been hurting for the past few weeks, since Christmas actually."
Ron's freckles became more pronounced by the pallor of his now sallow skin, "But it's hurt before, it's always hurt." It was as if he was silently pleading for Harry to tell him that it was nothing, but he couldn't.
"It's more than that. When the pain passes, I'll start to feel happy —ecstatic even."
"Hermione? Wh—What? Hermione, go on. Tell him it's nothing, you're the smart one. Go on."
"Not now, Ron. Why didn't you tell us sooner, Harry? Since Christmas?"
"I had to be sure. And now I am."
"Why now?"
"I talked to Professor Dumbledore about it."
Ron piped up from his self-delusion, "Well, that explains why you left after Snape and he left. But what exactly did Professor Dumbledore say?"
"He said—he said something big is going to happen, but he couldn't tell me what. And now that he knows that Voldemort is happy, it could be even worse for us."
"Oh, what a surprise. How does he expect to win this thing if he keeps his hero in the damn dark about everything?"
"Ron, he has his reasons."
"But aren't you tired of it? They treat us like kids when we've been put in danger more times than I can count and we came out more than alright."
"And I suspect that's why." Harry who'd been watching the exchange pensively shocked the two with his sudden input. "I don't think they're too keen on exposing us to the Dark more than necessary, which is to say not at all."
"So I don't suppose we'll get any more information until it's time."
"And you promise to keep us up-to-date if you get any more signs or anything like that?"
He nodded.
"Well, then I suppose it's time for us to enjoy what little time we've got left; apparently 'something big' is coming'" Ron ended dramatically.
"One moment, finite incantatem, best not to leave anything suspicious behind," Hermione reprimanded before traversing the stairs back to the common room.
"Do you have to go Hermione? It's been so long since we just sat around and did nothing. I can cancel my plans with Lavender, she'll understand."
Hermione doubted it, but acquiesced nevertheless. She had wanted to go relax in her own tower hoping that Draco would be there, but acquiesced.
"Alright, are we heading somewhere? or just the common room?"
"Just the common room. It's the simple things that are the best things in life. It's too bad we won't actually realize it until we die. I mean we know to appreciate it, but do we really?"
"Why, Harry Potter, have you been reading American literature behind my back?"
"What can I say; Our Town is a pretty nice play. Borrowed it," they knew well enough that it meant he nicked it, "from Dudley over summer."
Hermione clicked her tongue but could say nothing. He nicked something, but then again, it was a book… one that he read and enjoyed. Instead of debating the morality of his actions, she chose to make herself comfortable on a lumpy couch. Harry sat down beside her, smug at having made her speechless.
"Where'd Ron go?"
"Ron go where?" Ron's red hair peeked out from the portrait with Lavender in tow.
"Well, that was fast."
"I met her on the way."
The couple took the loveseat across Harry and Hermione. The two females shared a look of mutual distaste until Hermione turned to Harry again.
"So why'd Ginny have to leave after you fetched me from the library?" Hermione spoke disinterestedly. She had sworn that the youngest Weasley's dislike of her grew over time instead of abating. And the glare she sent Hermione's way as she departed cinched it.
"I didn't want her to know about the thing." Harry motioned silently to Lavender and Hermione dropped the subject.
The old friends got to talking about their past adventures in their younger years and Lavender grew restless and called Parvati over. This wouldn't have bothered Hermione had the subject not turned to Quidditch, but as it did, Hermione had two choices. To either listen to the Quidditch talk and learn of recent events in the Quidditch world or listen to the two twits in front of her, no doubt, gossip.
Hermione wasn't too fond of gossip as it had affected her and Harry negatively many times, but other times she found it entertaining. Entertaining, mind you, not valid till proven otherwise.
She covertly tuned in.
"—did not. They absolutely did not." Lavender squealed. It was a wonder how Ron hadn't complained once about the squeals when his ears were right next to the two of them.
"Oh, but they did. Fainted, each and every one… of the girls that is."
"Just by his smile?"
"Just by his smile."
"Merlin, I know he's handsome, but a smile doesn't change that much, does it?"
"Ask the girls with Madame Pomfrey, they'd beg to differ."
"I'm still a little skeptical," Hermione's eyebrows shot up from Lavender's display of vocabulary skills, "Tell the girl, Parvati." She smiled mischievously obviously just wanting to be told the story once more for the fun of it, not that Hermione was complaining. She was curious about whom this mysterious man would turn out to be.
Parvati smiled back, faking annoyance, but enjoying the attention, "I told you already, alright. I heard from Padma who heard from Anthony who heard from Ernie that Ernie was walking down a corridor outside the Flitwick's classroom when he saw Malfoy with a second year Hufflepuff. Thinking that Malfoy was about to hex the poor boy, Ernie pulled out his wand and got ready, when Malfoy patted the kid on the back, straightened himself, and smiled… and I mean really smiled. Ernie stood there for a bit while watching all the girls swoon. And, all of a sudden, Hannah, because he was walking with Hannah at the time, fainted. And then the rest of them started dropping like flies. Then Ernie said Malfoy looked a bit annoyed and walked away. Just like that."
Hermione inwardly laughed, marking it as something she would later tell Draco for a lark.
"Oooh, I bet just like that." The two shared a furtive glance and tittered.
"But I'm not done. The weird thing about it is, it's not all that uncommon."
"Girls fainting at the sight of him?"
"No, not that… well sometimes that. Maybe?... no. The thing is, have you noticed that he hasn't been as smarmy as he always was? I mean, not that I've spent enough time in his presence to be insulted, or even acknowledged sometimes, to know the difference. But the younger years seem don't seem to mind him. What do you think, Hermione?" Parvati asked in a rather loud voice, not knowing that the Head Girl was already a very attentive listener and who almost gave away her hidden interest at the mention of Draco's surname.
However, she innocently asked, "Think about what?"
"Parvati, it's not like Hermione's pays much attention to anything other than learning. There's no point asking her."
"It certainly can't hurt. She shares a tower with the man." Parvati now turned her body to face Hermione and ignored Lavender, "What do you think about Malfoy this year, Hermione? You and he weren't on the best of terms what with your past, but what about now? Surely, you must've noticed some changes even without the shared common room and whatnot."
She feigned indifference at the question, but was deeply disturbed to the core. When had he stopped being exclusively nice to her and started to become openly amiable with others? She took a neutral stance that belied her stormy thoughts. "Yes, he has done quite well as Head Boy and is taking his duties seriously. I must admit I was surprised by his sudden civility with"—me, why isn't it only me?— "everybody. It's certainly a pleasant change from the old Malfoy." Who was replaced with the new Draco, the one Hermione selfishly thought should have only been privy to herself.
From there, the conversation was diverted towards Lavender after some hard effort on her part and she faded back into the background.
x
She didn't notice when she had fallen asleep.
"Hermione. Come on, Hermione. It's time to go to sleep. It's not that we don't want you here, but seeing as there's no free room, we have doubts that you'd want to share a bed with either one of us," he teased.
Smiling, she grudgingly brought herself into consciousness. "But then where else would I find blackmail material. Tell me, do you really have a pygmy puff tattoo?"
He chuckled lightheartedly and yawned while escorting her to the portrait, "Do you want me to walk you back?"
Seeing the slight discoloration under his eyes, no question from the restless nights of worrying over his scar, she answered him with a final no. And left with a goodbye. Ron had long since left with Lavender and had not yet returned.
She happened to catch a glance at the ornate clock that hung in Gryffindor Common Room and realized that it was past curfew. She quickened her steps.
Poking her head from under a tapestry that was used to disguise a hidden route, Hermione checked her surroundings for Filch. Though she was Head Girl, she didn't want to seem as if she was abusing her powers.
It was clear for now, but she heard footsteps approaching. She knew she should have at least asked Harry for the Marauders' Map. She didn't quite trust the corridors or; as she was loathe admitting, the dark; after her encounter with Zabini. Her mind refused to think of what might have happened had he not come upon her that night.
She heard two voices, one male and the other female, but could discern no words. The drone of their voices stopped and she hurriedly stuck her head back in with the tapestry pushed a centimeter aside.
A figure stalked by her tapestry. It was a female, a pretty fifth year, Astoria Greengrass if she was not mistaken. Sister of Daphne Greengrass who, Hermione was startled to realize, had not been seen in a few days despite their shared Charms class.
She stepped out, not hearing Astoria's counterpart come her way.
"Hermione?" And she froze.
The voice struck her first, such familiarity— his rich baritone reverberating through her —Draco. Another inexplicable wave of jealousy flowed through her, recalling Parvati's story. What had he been doing after hours with that comely fifth year? She thought bitterly, he had to have manipulated her in some way as to cause her such irritation.
She turned around slowly as if to prolong the inevitability, "Draco." A smile plastered upon her face.
"What are you doing out so late?" The baritone took on a harsher edge. He boldly made to hold her in his arms and whispered in her ears. "Don't you remember what happened last time?"
'How could I forget?' was what she wanted to say, but only said, "No," his tenderness catching her off-guard. Never had he been so gentle with her outside their tower.
As a small girl and now as an adult, Hermione had always considered embraces the most intimate expression of love. So much emotion is conveyed through a simple hug without much effort on either part. And there was always the innocence of it all that Hermione felt was an irresistible appeal, something always appreciated during dark times.
x
He'd seen her step out of the tapestry, much to his surprise, and called out to her instinctively.
The surprise quickly washed away and was instead replaced by a fierce protectiveness over her. It was not too long ago that he had caught her outside after hours under much different circumstances and asked if she had forgotten what had happened then.
His need to reach out and hold her overwhelmed his rationality and he made to embrace her as if she were a fleeting image about to be erased forever.
The conversation with Astoria, though short, was troubling. Things were advancing quicker than he had anticipated since he first received the cautionary letter. So her 'no' did little to reassure him of her safety. And he took a plunge downward.
"Hermione" he didn't loosen his hold on her, "What would you do—what would you do if the war were to come soon? Would you stay to fight? or would you… leave?"
x
His words shocked her from her peaceful state, "Draco, what do you mean?"
Only then did he release her from his embrace only to capture her hands. "The way I see it, there is no room for neutrality in war… would you fight or would you run?
The seriousness in his eyes caused her to stiffen. "What's wrong Draco? Why are you asking me this?"
"Tell me. Just… tell me."
"No. Not until you tell me why you're acting so strangely." Hermione struggled to free her hands.
"Listen to me, Hermione" his voice cracked slightly, "I—I need to know."
"I would fight of course, but what does that have to do with the way you're acting now. Draco? Answer me."
Draco chuckled mirthlessly, "I thought as much. I can only hope that that'll change soon. Goodnight Hermione. Do try to keep yourself safe 'til then, would you?"
x
Hermione made her way safely back to their tower expecting Draco to show up minutes after her own arrival, but he never came. When they parted ways, he was heading towards the dungeons. Towards Astoria, perhaps? She shook her head furiously trying to dispel the thought.
She would not think about it now, but promised herself to bring it up soon if not for the sake of her curiosity, for the sake of her sanity.
Perhaps a more urgent and important matter would be Draco's concern over her stance in the war? Her priorities were out of order to say the least.
x
Today was a Thursday.
Hermione would leave first, she always left first. And he would follow her exactly ten minutes later. However, it was a mere four days following their after-hours rendezvous and Hermione was expecting further details about his strange behavior from Sunday night, but received no information. He avoided her questions and prompted her attention to the texts. She could do no more without arousing suspicion so she let him be.
But, today was a Thursday. They would not be studying in the library today; they would be in their common room.
To mentally prepare herself for the task of interrogating Draco Malfoy, Hermione arrived at her common room in record time, a small glass vial gleaming from inside her sleeve. Hastily spreading the textbooks and parchment around her, she sat down cross-legged in the center of the books. A glass vial tucked under her right sleeve.
She had answered his request to open her heart to him only to be left with questions. So she thought it was about time to level the playing field.
Their portrait door opened and Hermione lifted her head to greet him. Cordially, he greeted her back.
"Have a seat, Draco Malfoy. Would you like anything to drink?"
…
Bleh. D:
School's starting and I've started to slowly tackle my homework, and boy do I mean slowly.
Silencella – A combination of the spell Silencio with the Latin word for room: cella.
^That was written since summer, my apologies!