The Other Granger

Chapter 1

Hogwarts never ceased to amaze me, even in my seventh year. It's amazing how the ceiling changes to match the sky outside and its fascinating how the food appears on the table in front of us after the sorting and Professor Dumbledore's speech. What is even more mind baffling is: how the food tastes so good! The only thing that was putting a downer on the feast was the fact that, every time I absent mindedly glanced over at the Slytherin table, Draco was staring at me...What was his problem?! Oh, and then Hermione glaring at me from across the table.

I knew that she probably didn't want to be around me in school, and I had an ide of why: Hermione was the goody-two shoes of the family, she would excel in all things she did and didn't even have to try that much. Me on the other hand, well, I could be considered the opposite: I did what I was told, but I had to work hard for what I got. Another difference was that I am a different kind of person, Hermione is what some people call 'mainstream' but not me, I didn't follow the crowd, I wasn't a sheep following the shepherd.

Her glares put me on edge. It was also beginning to annoy me. What? Am I not a good enough sister for her? Did she really think she was above me? Maybe I should confront her about it...

"Lillie!" Harry's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "You alright?"

"Mmm? What?" How long had I been trapped in thought?

"I said are you alright? I've been talking to you, but it takes two to make conversation you know" He winked at me, a grin slowly forming on his face.

"Sorry, I was, um, just thinking about something" He chuckled at my response. Next thing I know, he had me in a head lock and was rubbing the top of my head with his knuckles.

"EEL! Harry! Let me go!" I shrieked, and at the same time I heard a laugh that heard shivers down my spine. He was laughing at me. Him. Draco Malfoy.

I escaped Harry's head lock and glared at Malfoy. It didn't work, he just laughed even louder. Jerk. I returned my attention to my friends around me. Each of them laughing at a joke that I had missed. I chuckled to myself, they were always like that, messing around and having fun. They really were great to be around.

"Waheeey! The smile is back!" I glanced at Ron, who had a full on smirk planted on his face. His smirk went to a smile and then he laughed. The others looked at me and all laughed along with him. I grinned and went back to eating. I'd forgotten all about my plate of food in front of me, thankfully it hadn't gone cold. Besides the numerous glances from Malfoy and a few others on the Slytherin table, it was turning out to be quite a nice evening.

********************************************************************************************

~Malfoy's POV~

Lillie Granger. Well, what can I say? She's a good for nothing Mudblood, just like her sister. Yeah, I know about their relation. And now, so does everybody else. It's quite funny to see the glares Hermione gives her, I can't help but laugh at them.

But the truth is, Lillie isn't that bad. She's actually pretty cool. She doesn't know I think that though, and neither does anyone else. I intend to keep it that was. I intend to keep acting like I hate her for as long as possible, even if I hate doing so.

"EEK! Harry! Let me go!" I glanced over to the Gryffindor table and saw her head in Potter's grip. I couldn't resist laughing at them. Not in a mean way, but just because it was funny. Then she escaped and glanced at me. Her face was bright red, which made me laugh even more. She glared at me. Even though her intention was to look fierce, her blue-green eyes were still as beautiful as ever. Her blonde hair hung around her face and her plump, red lips were set in a tight frown. She was attempting to put me on edge, but she only made me think good of her. She really did amaze me sometimes.

I chuckled to myself, receiving glances from a few people on my table, but they quickly looked away, I returned my attention to Lillie, but she wasn't looking anymore. Instead, she was laughing along with her friends, and I found myself wishing I had friends as good as them. It then dawned on me that her attention wasn't set on me anymore and I felt cold. 'What the hell Draco? She's just a girl!' I thought to myself. 'She's just a girl...she's just a girl...she's just a girl'. But she isn't just a girl, she's Lillie Marie Granger, and she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.

(After the feast has finished)

I made my way towards the Slytherin dorms, Crabbe and Goyle by my side. Don't get me wrong, they guys are great, well they're alright, but I hate it when they follow me around like lost puppies. Know why? Because whenever they are around I have to act like a jerk to people. I don't enjoy it, but I'm known as the biggest ass in Hogwarts, so the lads seem to think that I need to live up to my name.

'Crap!' I thought to myself as I saw Lillie walking along the corridor in front of me. "Hey, Crabbe and Goyle, why don't you head on up to the dorms without me? I've just remembered that I have something to do. I'll catch up with you later though".

"Um, okay?" Goyle sent me a questioning gaze, but I didn't care, I had to get them away from me before they saw her. If I didn't, they'd expect me to be mean to her until she walked away, which she never did. I didn't want to be mean to her, it made my insides churn at the thought of it. But being the school's jackass, I had to be, and I couldn't let that happen.

I watched their backs as they walked away and then, once they were out of sight, I turned around to see her standing a few feet away, staring at me. Her precious eyes set on mine and I felt myself weaken under her gaze. She really was beautiful, and she was the only one that did this to me but I could never let her know. I straightened my back and walked toward her, closing the distance between us.

"Granger! Can I help you at all?" I asked her.

"I need to speak to you" she replied, her tone harsh and her voice slightly hushed, making me chuckle.

"Isn't that what you are doing now" I said, amused.

"Shut up" her face hardened and I felt the sudden urge to apologise. "Sorry, what's up?"

"You need to stop; with the stares I mean. Its freaking me out!"

"The stares?"

"YES THE STARES!" she looked around, realising that she was shouting at me, before pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes. "When we were sat at our tables during the feast. Every time I looked up, you were sat there staring at me. What's your problem?"

'The fact that you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen' I thought to myself, but I wasn't about to openly admit that to her. "nothing, just coincidence I guess" I shrugged my shoulders and she looked at me like I was from a different planet. Then another thought crossed my mind, "Why were you looking at me in the first place?"

"I wasn't"

"You had to have been looking at me at some point, otherwise how would you have known that I was looking at you?" No! don't say that, you idiot! "n-not that I was looking at you directly! I, um, was just looking in that direction" Way to go Draco, that should save your ass, huh. Sure it will, dimwit!

She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "You know what? It doesn't matter anyway. I'm going" she turned away from me and walked towards her dorms. I couldn't help but let me eyes drift down her body. Her hips swayed seductively as she walked and I wondered if she meant to do it, but only a brief second before I realised that she probably didn't think about me in that way. I sighed and turned around, heading back to my own dorms. How I wish that girl was mine.