Do You Have a Pass? //Dramione AU//

3

Hermione is fairly certain her heart stopped in that second. She tried to control her features though, not wanting to give Draco the satisfaction of seeing her so frazzled. 

"Mrs. McGonagall, may I speak to you in private, please." Hermione asked tightly, carefully keeping her composure. She refused to look at Draco lest his face antagonize her.

Her principal looked at Hermione for a moment, then nodded. "Draco, please wait outside. And don't think about leaving, you know Mrs. Norris has eyes like a cat. And I guarantee she won't let her you of her line of sight."

"I assume it's because of my crippling good looks," Draco said lazily, but something in his voice seemed off. It was enough to make Hermione shoot a quick glance at him. 

She was shocked by what she saw. His grey eyes were rimmed in red, and the bags under his eyes seemed much more prominent. Despite his piggish personality, Hermione couldn't deny his beauty. He was like an angel with his white gold hair and delicate features. 

And those features showed defeat, and maybe a hint of vulnerability. Hermione was taken aback by the sliver of sympathy that began to blossom in her chest for the cruel, beautiful boy. 

The moment was gone as quick as it came when Draco smirked at Hermione, and then winked. Unlike Harry's wink, that gave her a warm, fluffy feeling of family, Draco's gesture made her stomach churn and bile begin to work its way up her esophagus.

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Hermione to think she had imagined the whole affair. 

Hermione was returned to the matter at hand when Principal McGonagall began to speak. 

"Ms. Granger, I understand the circumstances aren't ideal-" Hermione almost scoffed at the understatement, "but I promise you that this is the best option, for everyone."

Hermione struggled to stay respectful. "Ma'am, you know that I respect you with all my heart, but I just don't see this situation working in any way. Draco and I, we don't get along. At all. And we probably never will. I take my job as Head Hall Monitor very seriously and I'm not going to let some incompetent imbecile ruin that for me!"

"Hermione." McGonagall's voice was ice, and it stopped Hermione's train of thought in its tracks. That was the tone her principal reserved for the most troublesome of students, and it was never, never, used on Hermione. Hermione felt her face flush with shame, but she met McGonagall's gaze steadily. 

"Frankly, I'm disappointed in you. I would think you, of all people, would know better than to judge a book by its cover. And to question my judgment... where is that respect you speak so confidently of? Regardless, the decision is already final, so you can either deal with it, or hand me your badge!"

Hermione looked away, a lump in her throat. She felt tears stinging in her eyes from the injustice of the situation. What did she do to deserve condemnation to this personal purgatory? She always tried to be a good student, a good person. And Hermione would have been fine with anyone else in the school, but not Draco Malfoy. There was no such thing as good when it came to Draco Malfoy, and well... it was personal. Why couldn't Hermione be a teenage just this once, instead of a walking shell of high expectations?

Hermione heard the bell ring, and still without looking up, said, "If that is all you needed to tell me, I don't want to be late for class."

There was a pause before McGonagall answered, but finally she said gently, "You can go." 

Hermione was out the door in the flash. She thought she heard McGonagall call after her, but she didn't turn back. 

Outside, she saw Draco sitting in one of the hard plastic chairs in front of Mrs. Norris' desk. He looked up at her with a smirk, but something in her expression caused it to melt off his face. 

"Hermione..." he said, reaching out for her wrist as she passed. The moment his hand brushed her skin, she was engulfed in a flashback. 

Hermione dragged a chair to the door to look out the peephole. It was the boy from next door again. Stepping down, she opened the door impatiently, one hand grasping a book. 

"Hi, I'm Draco! I just moved in!" the pale boy said brightly, smiling and sticking his hand out. His hair was the color of sun in the winter, and his eyes were like two shining nickels. 

Hermione took his hand with her free one, shaking briskly. His hand was soft and warm. "I'm Hermione," she said, smiling softly. 

Draco frowned, his forehead crinkling daintily. "That's a long name."

Hermione scowled. She got that a lot. She removed her hand was the boy's grip, sniffing. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some studying to do." She waved the book in her hand.

Draco's frown deepened. "But it's summer."

Hermione stuck her nose up in the air. "Goodbye," she huffed, stepping back into her house.

"Wait," Draco called, grabbing her wrist. The touch made her feel all warm inside, and that confused Hermione. And, along with paper cuts and heights, Hermione hated being confused. 

So she stopped, and she turned. 

"I'm sorry," Draco said, his eyes pleading. "I didn't mean to make you mad. I was just trying to make a friend."

Hermione defrosted, smiling. She didn't have any friends besides the ones in her books, so she decided to take the offer. "Sure, we can be friends."

Draco let go of her wrist, and smiled back. "My mom made cookies, and she said you could come over and have some."

"Are they chocolate chip?" 

"Yup! I'll race you! First one there gets the one with the most chocolate!"

"You're on!"

Draco began running. "Eat my dust, Bookworm!"

Instead of being insulted, Hermione laughed, racing to catch up with him. "In your dreams, Blondie!"

So this is what it felt like to have a friend. 

Hermione ripped her hand from Draco's after being tossed back into the present. Those days were long gone. 

Hermione looked Draco in the eyes, angry tears beginning to fall. "Don't. This changes nothing."

Then she walked off without so much as a second glance.