𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩| 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞

4

Rain.

Hermione loved the rain. If anyone were to ever bother her when she was enjoying the rain, she would simply ignore them. Everyone had found it odd as to why Hermione was so obsessed with the rain, except him. Hermione had been thinking, long and hard about the previous rainy day. And Draco.

She had been curious as to why he had not insulted her. In fact, he has not insulted her once since everyone had arrived at Hogwarts. When she had walked away, the afternoon by the black lake, she was sure she would hear some snarky remark about her, yet, no insult came. Then, there was the rain. He had simply joined her. He had not threatened to tell, he had not even questioned her actions, he simply joined her.

Hermione was curious, she had not been curious in a long time. He had caused her curiosity. She had been shaken from these thoughts as Ginny waved in her face more aggressively.

"Hermione, you alright? You look... distracted" Ginnys eyes showed true concern through her observation.

This is what Hermione loved about Ginny. Even if it wore off, Ginny showed concern. It was real, it may only be for a few minutes or so, but she still did.

"Yea, I'm fine" Hermione lied as she forced a smile to please the red head.

"Ok, hey Seamus..." Ginny began a new conversation. She bought it. Hermione had turned her head slightly to see Ron and Hannah Abott talking near the great hall doors. Ron had come to visit for a bit at Hogwarts.

Hermione was not happy. She wished she could be happy for him, but how could she be happy for someone else, when she was not even happy herself?

No, Hermione was not jealous of Hannah, she was jealous of her and Ron's happiness. She wanted that.

After the war, Ron and Hermione's kiss was discussed among the two. She and Ron had tried, they really did want it to work. But, once they had finally opened their eyes and realized the only reason they were together, was because it made sense. It was what everyone had been whispering into each other's ears for years.

It just did not work. They just were not right for each other.

Hermione had excused herself. Beginning to walk out of the great hall, Hermione felt them, the eyes, again. They were extremely intense, like they were watching her every movement. She turned her head as fast as she could, no eyes. Hermione groaned at her luck of finding who it had been.

Deciding the library would help her clear her mind, she began to walk swiftly. Hermione heard footsteps. Subconsciously, she pulled out her wand. Hermione started to slowly move around, eyeing every dark corner in sight out of instinct.

"Who's there!" Hermione asked loudly and confidently before adding "Show yourself! You coward" Hermione's confidence was beginning to waver with fear.

Suddenly, a tall dark figure descended from one of the dark corners Hermione had not checked. Of course.

Draco Malfoy.

Hermione let out a shaken breath of relief, which was quickly filled with irritation. She had gotten scared because of him.

The boy who made her curious.

"Malfoy!" Hermione yelled out of anger as she shoved her wand in her thigh pocket. As he walked closer, Hermione became more and more irritated.

"Granger, what seems to be the fuss?" Draco asked innocently as he stopped right in front of her. He cocked his head to the side in a mocking mannerism.

"You... you just scared me that's al -"

"You seem to get scared a lot" Draco mused slightly with a small smirk tugging at his lips. Hermione stared straight into his eyes.

His eyes.

Those were the eyes.

He noticed her.

It was him.

Hermione backed away slowly while the realization took over her nerves. She looked up, his face was contoured with confusion laced with concern.

"I won't bite"

"You've noticed. You watched me" Hermione stated more than questioned, ignoring his comment.

Draco scoffed "Don't flatter -"

"You have been!" Hermione chuckled in triumph "why?"

Draco was taken back. He had no clue why he had been staring at her, noticing her struggles, the fools she calls her friends. In fact, it irritated him how much he found his curiosity getting the better of him. It had been her struggles, that drew him to her like a magnet. Because he saw himself in her.

Draco stepped forward. He cupped her face in his large slender hands before whispering softly "Because I noticed you" before he stepped back.

Hermione paused for a second before composing herself and walked away, she was afraid of him walking away first, leaving her there. The feeling of his cold hands on her warm petite face lingered on her cheeks in an insufferable way. One tear. Two tears. Before she knew it, she was on her knees sobbing.

He stared at her from a distance. He watched as she fell to her knees, beginning to sob her heart out.

Hermione cried. She cried in relief. Relief that someone had noticed her. She cried in anger, at her friends. She cried in grief, for her parents. She cried and cried. Hermione had done a lot of crying, too much for her to count. Yet, somehow in someway, she felt these tears were different, they were hope.

He watched in silence. She was the reason he had been curious. She would be his project. Something for him to let out his wild feelings out. It was her. He felt himself devoted to help her, to help her the way no one did him. It was upon him now. He was ok with it as well. Draco did not quite understand yet what this all meant, but he was more than willing to figure it out. One way or another.

Hermione composed herself before retreating to her dormitory. She lay in her bed, no tears. She was there, unable to fall asleep. Her thoughts lingered on him, the way he made her feel. It was new.

It was new because of him.