Silver and Gold (A Dramione Fanfic)

Chapter 20

"You're joking."

"Not in the slightest bit."

I glared at the infuriating blonde currently sitting on my bed as I folded my laundry and put it in my wardrobe. I could scarcely believe what he was trying to tell me.

"For what reason, Mr. I-Know-Everything, should I cancel my tutoring sessions with Astoria? She's perfectly nice, and anyway, it's part of my Head Girl duties to tutor students, should they need it." I said, rubbing my head with frustration.

"She's a Slytherin, and we Slytherins are notoriously cunning." Draco answered, looking calmly into my face, "Don't trust her."

"You- you hypocrite! You're a Slytherin, aren't you? I trust you. Why can't I trust her?" I retorted.

"She's different."

"How so?" I asked, trying for calm.

"I- I can't-" He tried. This had to have been the first time I'd ever heard him stutter.

"You can't what? You can't explain why you don't want me near her? And why is that?" I said, cutting him off before he could continue.

"Hermione, for Merlin's sake!" He exclaimed suddenly, shooting up from my bed and grabbing my shoulders. I dropped the pair of socks I was holding, though made no move to pick them up. He held me at arm's length, so there was nothing romantic about it. "I can't tell you why. I'm sorry about that. But you said you trusted me, right? Trust me on this. Don't tutor her."

"You still haven't given me a proper reason." I said.

"Please, Hermione." He said, giving me a look so pleading and intense, I couldn't help but soften.

"Look, if it means so much to you, you could always come with me when I tutor her." I said, taking a deep, calming breath.

   He stared into my eyes for moment, seemed to sense that that was as far as I would go, then nodded slowly.

   I smiled at him, then noticed how he hadn't yet relinquished his grip on my shoulders. I raised an eyebrow in question.

   He gave me a small smirk. "There's still something we need to talk about, you know."

   My left eyebrow lifted to join the right, and then both of them dropped into a look of slight discomfort.

   "Er... I dunno exactly how to start a. conversation like that really, really." I said, shrugging my shoulders out of his grip.

   He gave me a searching look, then grabbed my retreating wrist. "Like this," he said, as he pulled my close and pressed his lips to mine.

   I gave a slight gasp and felt him smirk against my lips.

   The next second and I was kissing him back with all my might. I think it may have even surprised him, the way I threw my arms around his neck and pressed myself against him. It sure as hell surprised me. My befuddled mind was incapable of making such decisions at that point.

   We broke apart all to quickly, and it was all I could do not to whimper aloud. Inches apart, he spoke.

   "Third time." He said, smirking just a bit.

   I'd already counted them in my mind. He didn't need to know it, but I had gone over each second in my head in great detail. Many times over.

   Oh, Merlin.

   "I think that qualifies us for the dating position, don't you?"  He went on.

   My jaw hit the floor.

   "You- you're joking," I said for the second time that day.

   "Not in the slightest." He repeated his earlier answer, but this time he elaborated, "You're beautiful, smart, and hilariously funny. Why wouldn't I want to date you?"

   My cheeks flushed red, and I almost melted right there and told him yes. Still, I managed to stay upright, if with some effort. "I'm a mudblood, for one."

   Under my hands, I felt him shudder slightly at that word. "No," he growled, "Don't call yourself that."

   "But you-"

   "Haven't I proven to you, time and time again, that I don't care about that shit anymore?" He said angrily.

   "Fine, then. I'm an ugly know-it-all, a bookworm, a swot." I said, resisting the urge to tick them off on my fingers.

   "Do you actually believe that? You're one of the most sought-after witches in the Wizarding U.K., for Merlin's sake!" He exclaimed, looking genuinely surprised.

   I brushed it off, "You're friends think I'm scum."

   "Do I look like I give a fu-?" He started indignantly.

   "Okay, okay, I get the idea." I said, cutting him off.

   "I hope you do. Don't ever say that kind of thing again, Hermione." He said, calming down.

   I looked him in the eyes, "Do you mean it? Do you really want me to be your- well- girlfriend?"

   "I meant everything I said."

   I gave him another searching look. His quicksilver eyes stared back into mine intently.

   "Then yes."