Draco felt himself growing slightly tense as he stood in the Top Box of the Quidditch world cup. His father surveyed Hermione sternly. The look on his father's face said it all. If he had a problem with the blood-traitorous Weasley family, it was nothing to the way he clearly felt about Hermione. Hermione stared back determinedly. Draco felt a little proud of her. He coward in the heat of his father's judgmental stare. Lucius's face crawled with disgust at the sight of Hermione. A filthy mudblood in the Top Box. Exciting as the Quidditch game was, Draco found it hard not to let his eyes wander to the seats in front of him. He would much rather watch her, while she watched the Quidditch game. It had been another summer of rare encounters between the two good friends. Draco couldn't help but notice how kind the summer had been to Hermione.
As Draco lay in his tent after the match, listening to people celebrating, his thoughts were interrupted by a crude voice outside the tent.
"Come Lucius." It croaked. "Let us show them who they should truly fear."
Draco sat up as his father's face appeared in the doorway.
"Draco." He said curtly. "Go wait in the woods. We will come collect you in a little while." He gave a sickening smile, conjuring a mask out of thin air. "There is a lesson that must be taught tonight." Lucius was gone in an instant.
Draco felt a little anxious, climbing down from bed. He knew exactly what was going on, and he couldn't help but agree with his father. The filthy mudbloods and blood traitors he had seen at the match had disgusted him. Though, he also knew that the exception of Hermione that Draco held secretly in his heart would mean nothing to his father.
Out in the woods, Draco caught sight of her, rushing through the trees with Potter and Weasley. Weasley tripped and fell to the ground. "What an idiot." Draco thought to himself. "And that is the guy who's here to protect Hermione?"
Draco stepped out from behind a tree. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along now?" he yelled, hoping he sounded casual. "You wouldn't like her spotted would you?" He nodded toward Hermione, hoping they would take the hint and run.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione jumped in defiantly.
"Do you want to be showing off your knickers in midair?" He looked at her pointedly, "because if you do, hang around..."
Finally, after a few more arguments from Potter and Weasley, Hermione seemed to see through Draco's cool exterior. They made eye contact, and Draco knew she understood the danger he was secretly trying to convey to her. His father was one of the masked menaces, and he would surely recognize Hermione as a muggle-born.
"Oh, come on." She said to the others and they hurried along.
"Keep that big bushy head down Granger," Malfoy called after them.
The return to school was exciting to say the least. Draco's father had informed him all about the Tri-Wizard Tournament that was to be held at the school this year. Draco took no pause in taunting Potter and Weasley with the fact that he had knowledge that they didn't, laughing as he watched their tiny brains try to string together the hints he was dropping about the tournament.
As in previous years though, Draco soon realized that he would once again be the target of humiliation. The first incident came only a few days into the term. Admittedly, Draco had been taunting Weasley regarding an article in The Daily Prophet in which Weasley's father made an appearance. However, things quickly turned against Draco, when Potter retorted with a cruel remark about Draco's mother. Anger boiled up inside of Draco.
"Don't you dare insult my mother Potter!" He shouted, sending a jinx in Potter's direction, and missing.
Before Draco could make a second attempt, there was a shout, and pain shot through Draco's body. Suddenly, he was seeing the corridor at an entirely different angle. He looked around furiously at the shoes of his classmates, and quickly realized that he had been transformed into a small rodent. Crabbe ran forward to help Draco, but Mad Eye Moody, having been the one who transformed Draco, gave a shout and Crabbe retreated. Draco was suddenly very frightened, he heard a terrified squeak come out of his mouth as he tried to scurry away towards the dungeons. Before he could get far however, he was thrown up into the air by an invisible force, the room spinning around him. Up and down he went, smashing hard into the stone floor upon each return. Professor McGonagall came running towards him and with a loud snapping noise, Draco found himself crumpled on the floor in human form again. Even more furious than before, Draco got to his feet. His whole body was killing him from the repetitive contact with the stone floor. Draco winced as Mad Eye Moody grabbed his arm, and pulled him towards the dungeons in search of Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin House.
Hermione filed into the Great Hall along with Harry and Ron, and sat at the Gryffindor table. "He could have really hurt Malfoy though." She said as Harry and Ron laughed about what they had just witnessed. She knew that she needed to make sure Draco was alright, and began to shovel down her food at top speed so she could go find him.
"Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening? Harry said, staring at her.
"Got to." Hermione said through a mouthful of food. "Loads to do." She knew that the easiest way to get away from Harry and Ron long enough to see Draco, was to tell them she was going to the library. They hated studying, and avoided that part of the castle at all costs. Within five minutes, Hermione had finished her plate, and departed.
An hour later, Draco was laying across an overstuffed love-seat in the abandoned classroom that he and Hermione had become accustomed to meeting in. Hermione had allowed him to lay his head on her lap, and was sitting in silence, watching him tentatively. She wasn't sure what to say to make him feel better, but just her presence seemed to help a little. Draco had his arm thrown over his eyes, pressing the bridge of his nose into the crook of his elbow, and trying to forget the events of the day. His whole body was bruised, and even just laying there was causing him pain. After a few moments, Draco sighed, removing his arm from his face, but keeping his eyes closed. He was too humiliated to look at Hermione, and was glad that she wasn't pressing him to talk to her. Hermione absentmindedly brushed a strand of blonde hair off of Draco's forehead, and he felt a strange tightening feeling somewhere in his gut.
Before anyone knew it, Hogwarts was joined by the two other participating schools, and the selection process for the Tri-Wizard tournament began. As each school champion was announced, Draco stared in furious confusion, along with the rest of the school, as Harry Potter's name came out of the Goblet of Fire. How is that even possible? Draco thought to himself. He was livid. There had been age restrictions set in place, and somehow Potter had still found a way to become a hero. Potter was always breaking rules, and always getting rewarded for it.
"How did he do it?" Draco asked Hermione angrily when he finally saw her on her own.
Hermione shook her head, baffled. "I don't know.." She said. "He told me that he didn't do it."
"Yeah, well even Weasley doesn't believe that, does he?" Draco had noticed that Hermione was being forced to go between the two of them, as it appeared Potter and Weasley weren't talking to each other.
The news article about the tournament had been released, and Draco sneered as he read the ridiculous things Potter was saying about himself.
"He thinks he's such a little hero doesn't he?" Draco crumpled the paper and threw it away from him. "Everyone just worships him!"
"He didn't say those things in the paper." Hermione insisted defiantly. "He didn't even want an interview. Harry doesn't ask for this attention you know. He would be much happier without it."
The first task was now over. Potter had excelled, and even Draco couldn't help but be a little impressed. The topic of conversation had now turned to the upcoming Yule Ball. Draco sat in the Slytherin common room, thinking back on the conversation he had just had with Hermione, in which she revealed that she had agreed to go to the ball with none other than Victor Krum. Draco's heart sank a little at this news, though he had no idea why. It's not as if he could have taken her anyway, even if he had wanted to. He looked around the room. He had to take someone though. He would look like a fool if he showed up alone. His eyes fell on Pansy Parkinson. She had always had a thing for Draco, following him like a lost puppy, laughing more than necessary at any joke he made. Draco rather liked Pansy as a person. He certainly liked the attention she game him, and he supposed she wasn't bad looking.
"Hey Pansy," he called across the room.
She looked up, and smiled when she saw that it had been he who had said her name.
"Let's go to the Yule Ball together." He said. It wasn't a question, because he already knew how she would respond.
Her face flushed, and Draco had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "I would love to go with you Draco."
The night of the Yule ball arrived, and Draco departed the dungeons with Pansy, both adorned with their best dress robes. As they reached the entrance hall Draco's jaw dropped, and his stomach did an uncomfortable back flip. Hermione entered the Yule Ball on the arm of Victor Krum, looking more beautiful than anything Draco had ever seen. He watched her walk by and she caught his eye, smiling slightly as she passed. When Draco finally tore his eyes away from her, he threw a glance at the girl on his own arm. Why was he standing here with Pansy, when he should be arm in arm with Hermione? He couldn't keep his eyes off her the entire night. She was dancing with Krum. Finally, Draco saw her break away, and head out into the entrance hall for some air. Stealing the opportunity to talk to her, Draco swiftly ditched Pansy, and followed Hermione out. She was standing on the castle steps leaning against the large frame of the open front doors, clutching a stitch in her side and panting slightly. She turned as he reached her side and her face lit up.
"Draco!" She said with a smile. "Oh, isn't tonight wonderful? I'm having so much fun, but I just needed a moment of fresh air to catch my breath."
Draco couldn't help but smile. "You're beautiful." He said in a quiet voice.
Hermione blushed. "Oh." She said and giggled a little "Thank you."
"Come on." Draco said grabbing her hand and pulling her out into the beautifully enchanted grounds. "Just for a minute."
He pulled her between the shrubbery and over to a secluded corner beneath a tree that was sparkling with live fairies. He held both of her hands in his as he faced her.
"You're my best friend you know." He said smiling.
She let out a little laugh, "Of course I know that. You're mine as well."
Draco involuntarily reached up and brushed a stray hair from Hermione's face and she froze. Draco however, didn't drop his hand from her face. Hermione's gaze shifted and Draco could sense her discomfort.
"Hermione, you're.." he began, wanting to explain the millions of thoughts running through his head. Clogging up his brain, and making it feel fuzzy.
Hermione tried to step back, but she had nowhere to go with her back against the tree. She shook her head the tiniest bit. The movement was small enough that Draco could pretend he hadn't seen it. Leaning in, Draco pressed his lips softly against her's. He felt her tense for a moment, but then she relaxed into his kiss. Draco, with one hand still holding Hermione's face, released her hand with his other, and slid it around her, pressing it firmly against her lower back, pulling her closer to him. He felt Hermione's hands clasp the front of his robes as the kiss deepened and his lower stomach flipped again. But then, just as he thought Hermione was pulling him closer, her movement changed and he felt her firm open palm against his chest, pushing him away instead. Draco's eyes opened an inch from Hermione's face. He gave her a questioning look, and she sighed, looking down at her hands, now clasped in front of her.
Draco took a step back, his hands falling to his sides. "Hermione?"
"No, Draco." Hermione was looking at everything but him. "No." She repeated softly "we can't."
"Hermione, you mean more to me than anyone. I-" He croaked.
"I know." She said, cutting him off. "and Draco..I won't pretend that I haven't thought about it." Her face was flushed. "But you know this can't work...it's not possible."
Draco reached towards her, but Hermione ducked under his arm, and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Draco feeling very much alone, and not entirely sure that his heart was even still beating.
Draco looked for Hermione as the stands filled for the second task. He hadn't spoken to her since the ball, and he knew she was avoiding him out of sheer awkwardness. Hermione didn't arrive however, and Draco watched as the four champions dove into the freezing cold lake. Once they were no longer visible, the crowd began to murmur, and Draco caught bits of conversation throughout the stands, each talking about the task.
"Did you hear?" Pansy dropped down in the seat next to him.
"Hear what?" Draco said, with a slight air of annoyance.
"They've got people down there." She said wide-eyed, gesturing to the lake. "That's what the champions are after. Potter is supposed to be retrieving Weasley, and get this, Krum has got to save Granger!" She gave a screech of laughter. "I hope they all drown down there."
Draco's heart gave a hard thump, and his hands began to grow clammy as he took in this news. Hermione was at the bottom of the lake? His stomach was in knots. Draco sat in tense silence. His eyes fixed on the glassy waters. Finally, Krum surfaced, holding Hermione around the waist, and Draco could breathe again.
"Has anything ever happened between you and Potter?" Draco blurted out. He and Hermione were sitting in the library together, hidden among the shelves at the very back where students hardly ever went.
Hermione looked up at him, surprised. "What?"
Draco hesitated. "I mean...that article," referring to the recently published article Rita Skeeter had written, accusing Hermione of seducing Potter and Krum with love potions. "There's no basis for it? Is there?"
Hermione snapped her book shut. "Don't be ridiculous Draco, of course there's not." She looked a little annoyed. "That horrid Skeeter woman is just trying to get back at me for standing up to her."
"So, what about Krum then?" Draco watched her carefully.
"What about him?" She asked, her brow furrowed a little.
"Well does he really feel that way about you? Are you going to go visit him this summer?" Draco was trying to sound casual about it, but he knew Hermione wasn't buying it.
"Well he did ask me." She said, her face flushing a little. "But I haven't given him an answer."
The school year was almost over, and Draco was growing more and more irritated with Potter's growing fame. Draco took every chance he could to mock Potter and in a pathetic attempt to humiliate Potter more, Draco even spoke to Rita Skeeter herself as she wrote more articles about the famous Boy Who Lived. Draco knew Hermione wouldn't like it, but it made Draco feel better to see Potter laughed at as he walked down the corridors. What happened at the third task shocked everyone. There was screaming, and shouting, and Diggory came back dead. Dumbledore announced that The Dark Lord had returned. Draco wondered if it were true. And if it was, what would that mean for his family? He knew that his parents had always been supporters of the Dark Lord's cause. Life as Draco knew it may be changing rather quickly if he had indeed returned.
As the students departed at the end of the term, Draco couldn't help but notice Hermione being pulled away from the crown by Victor Krum. Though he knew he would probably regret it, curiosity consumed him, and Draco peered around the corner after them. With a spark of jealousy, Draco watched as Krum held Hermione close, kissing her goodbye. Hermione didn't push Krum away, as she had pushed Draco. In his heart, Draco knew that circumstances would not allow for him to see Hermione this summer. This time, it would be she who broke their pact.