Thank you to everyone who voiced in!
Disclaimer; everyone knows Harry Potter isn't mine.
Hermione had woken up very early-earlier than usual-and even though the sun hadn't risen yet, she went on her morning run.
She had her hair up in a tight bun and was clad in running clothes. She had just reached the grounds of the castle when Draco drifted into her mind. She couldn't get him out after she started thinking about him. He was clever, and nice; genuinely so. He had the most easy smile he knew at Hogwarts. He challenged her in her studies, and in Dueling Club. They've been best friends since they've known each other. They were each other's first friends at Hogwarts.
They always went everywhere together, they did everything together. She spent almost all of her down time with him...
That clearly meant she liked him. She wasn't stupid.
But she also wasn't entirely sure she had the butterflies-in-her-stomach when she thought about him that she attributed to being attracted to him... Yet the memory of him kissing her in the Library jumped to the forefront of her mind and she stumbled. Her heart pound sharply in her chest and her heavy breath became even heavier.
"Oh..." She mumbled, as she came to a stop. Her fingers went up to her lips and as she touched them she closed her eyes. She had been so damn surprised at the time, she hadn't enjoyed it, but now thinking back... It was nice. It was her first kiss.
The only other thing she had to compare the experience to was when Michael kissed her on the cheek, and that had just been weird; like super weird. She shook her head and turned herself away from the steaming Black Lake and headed back towards the castle. It was time to shower and dress, and then meet Draco.
Draco woke up with a smile on his face. In his head, things were looking up. Hermione would have calmed down after the initial surprise of him kissing her, because she hated when things happened that she wasn't prepared for, and she'd admit, albeit in the most awkward way possible, that she liked him too.
He showered and dressed, he spritzed on some of his cologne as well, just because he wanted to. Not to impress her. He wouldn't try to do that. He ruffled his hair with both hands as he walked from the Ravenclaw Common room to the Room of Requirement. When he reached the hallway he thought, A meeting place with Granger. A while wooden door appeared a few feet down the corridor and he let himself inside. Hermione was already there. The room was pretty small for a magical room and simply decorated. There were three couches arranged around a coffee table that was covered in books. Paintings hung off the walls of different Hogwarts landscapes.
Hermione turned to Draco as the door shut and she smiled awkwardly. Draco managed to keep a knowing smirk from his face. He smiled back instead, and then sat down next to her, turning his shoulders to face her. "Morning," he chirped. She mumbled a reply and then ran her fingers through her fringe. She had the rest of her hair in a french braid.
"I apologize about last night. And thank you for getting my bag back to me," she began. She glanced at him and then stood up and put the table between them. She had her hands folded behind her back and looked everywhere but at him.
"I am sorry about last night as well. I shouldn't have done that without asking." Draco really did feel a bit bad about putting her on the spot-he didn't regret the kiss however. It was his first kiss and he enjoyed it. Hermione nodded faintly.
"Yes. Okay. Well..Uhm." Her hands fell to her sides and she opened and closed her fists a few times. She started to say something and then started walking back and forth. Yes, awkward, just like Draco predicted.
"It-it gave me a lot to think about, of course," she began, not being able to say the K-word. Draco hid his amusement well. He sat with his hands resting on his legs, his head turning to follow her trek across the room and back. "My date with Michael, well..." She started, which caused him to scowl, but then paused and looked at him with squinted eyes. "Has Michael talked to you about it?" She asked.
Draco cleared his throat, to rid the frustration, "No, why would he?" He asked.
Hermione let out a dry laugh, "well because he only asked me on a date to get you to admit your feelings." She looked awkwardly at the floor and then shook her head, "I slapped him for it." Draco had seen the faint bruising around Michael's eye, Draco grinned a little. "It served him right, using me like that. But it also got me thinking about who I...l-like."
She closed her eyes for a moment and then turned to look at him. "I don't like Michael, like that. I had thought I should, but I just don't. And I hadn't even thought about liking anyone, but I've realized..." she covered her mouth with her hand for a moment and she closed her eyes for a moment. She drew in a deep breath and then forced out the next bit:
"Ilikeyou." Draco's grin took over his face and he stood. She looked ready to hide somewhere, so he didn't jump over the table and hug her like he wanted. Instead, he walked slowly around and put his hands gently and carefully on her shoulders. She still looked like she was planning her escape.
"Well good. That clears everything up. I like you too." He smiled widely and she let out a tense breath, her cheeks blazing red.
They were quiet for a few moments, just looking at each other with his hands still on her shoulders. "So..er...what now?" She asked. The question brought Draco up sort for a moment. He shrugged.
"We could kiss?" He asked, this time. Her reaction was adorable. Her eyes widened like he suggested they go get married, and she opened her mouth to say something, but seemed too embarrassed to find her voice. Draco laughed faintly.
"Hermione, relax. If you don't want to do anything that's fine. I'm not mad! Let's go down to breakfast, okay?" She nodded her head several times. They left their little meeting room.
Draco tried to take hold of her hand when they reached the ground floor, but as soon as his fingers touched hers, she jumped and took a few steps away from him. He frowned faintly but didn't say anything. She tried to smile in his direction but she just blushed and looked away. Draco was about to ask her to sit with him at the Ravenclaw table, when Harry and Neville called her attention. She immediately bolted from him, causing him to sigh. He smirked, however, as he strode pridefully after her and sank down into the seat next to her.
Everyone was silent for a few seconds, knowing that the two friends had been keeping away from each other for the past few days. Draco broke the silence, "Good morning." Harry and Neville nodded their replies, Ron scowled and looked away, Ginny smiled and waved and asked Hermione about some homework of theirs. Rose, Harry's little sister, asked him animatedly about his morning.
"It's been fantastic," he told her with a smile, his answer caused her to beam and Hermione to blush.
She really was overreacting about this. They had admitted their feelings...not that big of a deal, right?
Wrong.
It was a huge deal for Hermione. Hermione always tried to stay neutral in her life, even as a child with no magic, she tried to keep everyone happy and didn't experience things in full-volume. She only ran full-tilt into her studies because she refused anything less than perfect marks, but every other aspect, she tried to keep a level head and not make waves.
By just telling Draco that she had feelings-deep and complicated feelings at that-was like she had opened up her soul and exposed herself to him, and she felt weightless and vulnerable. Like she had put herself into the palms of his hand and was watching, helplessly, while he decided what to do with it.
Her palms were starting to clam up so she wiped them onto her legs. She left them under the table, as she had absolutely no appetite at the moment.
Draco tried to take her hand again. She looked at the plate of pancakes in front of her in alarm-as if they had just combusted into flames-but didn't take her hand away. Draco laced his fingers in hers and gave her hand a supportive squeeze. She swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn't realize how badly she was blushing until Neville arched one of his eyebrows at her.
"Hermione, you feeling alright?" Neville asked. Hermione cleared her throat, took a drink of orange juice and nodded her head.
"I'm fine." She promised, but no one was convinced.
"Off to double Defense Against the Dark Arts, isn't it?" Harry asked with a scowl. The Gryffindor fourth years groaned. It was the lowest point of their week. Lockhart was an insufferable moron when it came to anything, and only talked about himself and his adventures-which they had mostly covered all of the creatures he spoke about anyway. Remus Lupin was an 1000x times better teacher than he was. Draco didn't have him until later in the day, though. They ate breakfast in a depressed silence (thinking of their impending DADA class).
Once they stood to leave, Draco offered to walk her to class quietly but she shook her head quickly, "N-no that is okay, you could be late to Herbology that way." Draco shrugged, as if he really cared about the plant babysitting class, and headed out there anyway. Hermione walked with her hands shoved deeply into her robe pockets as the other Gryffindors spoke about the next Quidditch game, which was Hufflepuff against Slytherin. They were all hoping that the Diggory boy caught the snitch quickly, because the Slytherin offense usually sent the Hufflepuff chasers into the infirmary.
Inside the classroom, Lockhart had cleared the tables and chairs out of the room and had set up what appeared to be a dueling area. "Welcome, Welcome, Fourth year Gryffindor and Slytherin students!" Lockhart stood at the top of the stairs in the doorway that led into his office. Against the far wall, where his giant portrait of himself normally hung, was a dark wardrobe. Hermione eyed it suspiciously while everyone else set they bags down against the walls. "Today we are going over the dangerous, child eating Erklings." He announced, "To ward them off we will be using the Freezing Charm, Glacius, which you should know from last year." A red flag began waving in Hermione's mind, but she couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, she glanced sideways at Harry, to see him eyeing Lockhart suspiciously as well.
"However, the average strength of the Glacius charm is not enough, so you must use the stronger and more focused Glacuis Maxima. Granger, step forward." Hermione nodded and took out her wand and stood a few feet in front of the wardrobe. She had her wand ready and the spell at the tip of her tongue.
Lockhart waved his wand and the wardrobe opened, and three brownish green bony creatures crawled out and stood up at the foot of their prison. They had sharp beak-like noses and sun-yellow eyes and dangers claws. Hermione watched them for a moment, curious about their natures when they opened up their mouths and screeched at her warningly.
Hermione didn't miss their sharp teeth. "Glacius Maxima!" Blue light erupted from the tip of her wand and cloaked the three Erklings, freezing them solid. Lockhart nodded his head approvingly and lifted them via wand and shut them back up into the wardrobe.
"Well done, Granger, Five points to Gryffindor. Can anyone tell me where these little blighters come from?" He asked as he descended the stairs. No one raised their hand except Hermione-no one bothered with her in the classroom except sometimes Draco.
"Germany's Black Forest," she announced, "though there is also a Bavarian species as well that is much more vial and dangerous." Lockhart nodded and with a wave of his wand, the tables and chairs were back.
"I want a few paragraphs written about the characteristics of the German Erklings, and just as many about the Bavarian ones. I would also like to know which Classification it was given by the Ministry of Magic, and for what reason. If anyone paid attention at the beginning of class, I have already given that answer." He then sat himself behind his desk and started scratching something down.
Hermione was making her way out of the dungeons after potions, minding her own business, when someone collided shoulders. She jumped out of her revere and brought her hands up into a defensive stance, as if she was being attacked. The Slytherin eyed her with an amused smirk.
"Watch where you are going," she spat. The older boy rolled his eyes.
"You better drop that tone, Granger," he sneered. Hermione lowered her hands slowly but scowled back at him.
"Oh, you've got me quaking in my shoes, Bletchley." She finally recognized him as the Slytherin Keeper, he was in his sixth year. He glared at her, his hands curled into fists.
"I'm warning you," he growled, shoving her shoulder. Granger scoffed at his arrogance and absurdity and shoved him back without actually deciding to do so.
He went to shove her back but she ducked and sidestepped his swipe and took out her wand in defense.
"Granger! It's against school rules to duel outside Dueling Club!" The voice that filled the hallways was Lockhart. The two students whirled around to see the pompous blond man coming from Snape's office. He looked glaringly at the Slytherin until the boy took off walking. He put his hands on his hips and then turned his gaze towards Hermione.
"I was defending myself, sir," she said coolly as she stowed her wand away. Lockhart waved his had dismissively.
"Whatever your reason, what you intended to do was against school rules, and therefor you will serve a detention as restitution. And from it I hope you glean the lesson not to raise your wand to your fellow students." Hermione's heart sank into her shoes as he gave her a detention. She'd never had a detention before!
"Professor! Please not a detention! I'll write an apology essay, I'll tutor first years, anything but a detention!" She begged. Lockhart made a noise in his throat.
"Come now, Granger, you can't expect me to give you special treatment. It is a punishment and you will serve it. Hagrid has asked for some assistance in his duties and you are to report to him tonight after dinner. Is that clear?" He asked. Hermione nodded and hid her relief well. A detention with Hagrid wouldn't be a detention at all!
She found herself sat in her usual chair in Hagrid's Hut while he set a fire to a few lanterns on his table. He had been very disappointed at first when Lockhart informed him that Granger would be the one serving detention with him, but then he had relaxed after Hermione had explained herself upon reaching his hut. Self defense didn't seem like a punishable offense to Hagrid, especially when it was from someone who had a spotless record otherwise.
"We'll be in the Dark Forest tonight," he told the girl. Her eyes widened as she looked at her mentor.
"But why?" She asked, she had never been in before. Every year at the start of term feast, Headmaster Dumbledore reminded everyone that it could kill them. She certainly didn't want to die because stupid Bletchley put hands on her.
"Remember Saturday, when you came by my hut and I mentioned them unicorns?" Hagrid asked, to which Hermione nodded, "This mornin' I found unicorn's blood. They are easily found at night, I needed some help tracking the poor thing. Professor Lockhart had said over breakfast he wouldn't mind helping out, but now I suspect he let you do the honors." Hagrid chuckled in his throat but shook his head.
"Anyway, you and I will follow the trail and see if we can find it, hopefully alive." Hagrid handed her one of the lanterns and she nodded faintly. He whistled for Fang to follow them and they left the Hut and walked into the forest.
Hermione was practically jogging behind Hagrid's great big strides, they didn't say anything for a while.
Finally, Hagrid let out a, "there, see?" He pointed to some silvery substance on the bark of a nearby tree. Hermione leaned in to inspect it, it smell metallic.
"Unicorn blood?" She asked quietly. Hagrid nodded. "It musta stumble 'gainst the tree," he said gesturing, as the dirt was kicked up at the base of the tree, and the blood on the tree was smeared.
"That way?" Hermione asked pointing in front of them, or off to the right, which it looked like the Unicorn could have stumbled.
"Best split up. If you find it, send up green sparks. If you run into trouble, send up red sparks." Hagrid pat her on the back and took of to the right and gestured for her to continue straight forward.
Hermione watched his lantern bob out of view. She drew in a deep breath, raised up her lantern and started walking in the direction she was supposed to. After a few steps, the fire light reflected off of something glistening on the ground. She bent down to inspect it and discovered more unicorn blood. She looked up and squinted into the darkness, a few meters ahead she saw more blood. She took up a trot and went from splatter to splatter.
The silvery droplets led her to a thick cluster of trees-the unicorn was most likely seeking out shelter-and she found the part where the large creature thrust itself through between two trunks. She didn't want to get the blood on her, but she had no other option of entering this shelter. She squeezed through, and the sight on the other side froze her to the spot.
There was a tall figure clad in thick robes standing over a collapsed unicorn. Hermione didn't know much about unicorns, but knew that if a horse laid fully on it's side that it was either dead or nearly there.
She covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from making noise. The figure knelt down next to the unicorn and placed something next to it. There was a carnal sound of enjoyment and then what sounded like...eating. Hermione drew her wand.
"Who are you?" She demanded. The noises coming from the foot of the figure ceased.
"Kill it!" Something rasped, the figure turned in a flurry of cloaks with a wand held high. Hermione was going to see if she could recognize the wand (it had to be someone from the school, right?) but the face stole her attention.
Well, it wasn't a face, it was a mask. A dark mask with the likeness of a skeleton.
Hermione had never seen one before, but had had it described to her once; a death eater's mask.
"Stupefy!" The spell bounced off the death eater's shield and hit the trees nearby.
"Stupid girl!" The man chuckled. "Ava-" As the man began the killing curse, Hermione jumped backwards through the tree barrier. She fell soundly on her rump, but it also took her out of view and range of whoever it was. Hermione scrambled to her feet and took off running into the forest, the Lantern left behind.
She didn't run back the way she had come, as the man had obviously also had come that way. She had no doubts that he would follow her, but hopefully she could find Hagrid somewhere, or a place to hide. She didn't dare send up sparks, for he would surely find her then. Hermione tried to keep her run silent, yet she could hardly see anything by moonlight. She knew spells to enhance night vision, but she had to concentrate on running at the moment.
She knew she could run for miles, if need be, but she didn't know how athletic the death eater was.
Thousands of things then began racing through her mind. Who was he? Who had the voice belonged to? Was he a teacher? How did he get inside the forest? Could he apparate? Where was Hagrid? Was she going to survive this detention?
She had just turned her head to look behind her when her foot found itself wedged underneath a root, yet her body kept up its forward motion. She fell hard and fast. She just had time to turn and take the impact with her shoulder. She hadn't heard her ankle make a noise as she fell, but the angle it was wasn't natural. She withdrew it from the root and winced.
She wasn't going anywhere with that. She closed her eyes for a moment and let out a shuddering breath, this situation went from bad to worse. She scooted herself backwards up against a tree and held her wand tightly in front of her. How was she going to get out of this forest? Should she send up sparks? How far had she run?
She heard approach and froze. She didn't even dare to think. The sounds of approach grew louder and more distinct, something large. She then heard a familiar woof.
"Hagrid?" She barely dared to speak louder than a whisper. She didn't get an answer. "Hagrid?" She said louder this time. There was a woof again and thudding footsteps. Fang came around a tree a few yards to the left of her and she whistled him over. He licked her face and barked.
"Fang, ssh!" She said. Hagrid arrived then.
"'ermione! What are you doing there?" He asked looking her over with a sway of his lantern. Hermione blanched from the light and covered her eyes.
"Yer filthy and in a-what 'appened to yer ankle?"
"I fell. Hagrid, we've got to get to Headmaster Dumbeldore! There was a deatheater in the forest!" Hagrid balked at her for a moment before he stooped down and picked her up with one hand. He sat her on his shoulder, to save her dignity from cradling her, and took off. Hermione trusted that Hagrid knew where he was going.
"We've got a bit of a walk, so what happened?" Hagrid asked after a few minutes. Herimone's heart rate had almost returned to normal.
Back at the hut, Hagrid dropped off Fang and headed for the castle. "So I jumped backwards and fell, then took off running away from where I had come. I don't really know if he followed me or not, because of what he had with him. I had just looked over my shoulder to check, when I had fallen again and broke my ankle." She reached the end of her story when Hagrid opened the door.
"Blimey," Hagrid finally said. He hadn't interrupted her while he was talking. "I'm taking you up to the infirmary, and then getting the headmaster." Hagrid didn't make it sound like she had a choice, so Hermione nodded faintly.
As they walked passed the Great Hall, Hermione caught sight of the dinner crowd and she groaned faintly.
Hagrid had her up to the hospital wing in no time, sat in a bed. Madame Pomfrey was fluttering around her, getting her ready for healing or whatever.
Hagrid excused himself to notify the Headmaster.
Madame Pomfrey whispered to herself while she removed Hermione's shoe and sock. She tutted when she saw the damage. "How much pain are you in?"
"My adrenaline is still going...I didn't feel it at all when I fell, and barely feel it now." She looked at her ankle like it was something inanimate as it lay on the bed at a strange angle.
"It's a clean break and I should have it healed by the end of the week." She promised. She went into her storage closet and when she came back, she had a potion and a pitcher of water.
"Ah, Miss Granger..." Headmaster Dumbledore strode in. Hagrid was no where to be seen. He sat down next to her bed and took her hand. "My dear, I would like for you to tell me exactly what happened." Hermione nodded, as Madame Pomfrey handed her a glass filled to the brim with a potion. Hermione took a sip and made a terrible face.
"Healing bones isn't easy, Miss Granger," the woman said, and Hermione nodded. She tried her best to drink the rest quickly. When she put the empty glass down, she told Headmaster Dumbledore everything.
He kept a straight face through her story, save when she mentioned something ordering the death eater to, 'kill it.' When she finished, Headmaster Dumbledore took her hand again, "thank you for your story, I will personally let your professors know to forgive your absence for the next week. I bid you farewell, Miss Granger."
As Dumbledore was leaving, a blond and two brunettes ran into the room, "HERMIONE!" They yelled in unison at seeing her, causing Hermione to groan.
I'm evil! I know it.
So, I wanna hear theories! What's going on? I mean, I know what's going on, but I wanna hear what you guys think!