Second Time Around

Promise Me

"When we care called to help our friends in need

You can count on me,

like one, two three"—Count on me, Bruno Mars

They met in secret after that. It wasn't as often as Draco would've liked but it sufficed. That corner of the library that no self-respecting Slytherin would visit became their meeting place and if anyone from another house came, Draco left sharpish.

Hermione had trouble adjusting to their strange friendship, but eventually, things worked out in their own way.

Another thing that left a bad taste in his mouth was the fact that after the troll incident, Hermione, Potter and Weasley had become almost inseparable. Apparently there were some things you just couldn't live through without coming to like each other, and surviving a troll attack was one of them. Although Draco constantly reminded her that she'd be dead if he hadn't led them to her, she only laughed it off with a smile.

Draco was finding out quickly that he was powerless against her smiles, especially when directed towards him - which was often.

Another thing Draco learned after the first few months of knowing Hermione was that there was no point persuading her against things she had made her mind up on and if he did, she'd easily silenced him with one of her looks. It wasn't the look, per say that silenced him actually; because Draco had been getting those 'looks' from all his governesses from since he was a child. It was more the fact that he couldn't bring himself to say no to Hermione's 'looks'.

Draco was also slowly becoming accustomed to Hermione's importance in his life. Strangely enough, he didn't mind it.

Draco had never had anything he particularly cared about other than his parents and his flying. This had made him spoilt, childish and ignorant. But thinking about another person, caring about the way they felt and thought about him was a strange experience. At the same time, it was oddly rewarding, especially to have her caring for him right back.

Draco could honestly say that he'd never had a friend like Hermione before. Crabbe and Goyle were henchmen wannabe's, they didn't count. Pansy was...Pansy. He'd recently started hating Blaise Zabini for reasons he didn't know and he could never figure out what Theodore Nott was thinking, so it was hard to befriend him. Hermione was hard to figure out too, but in a less deadly way.

Quidditch season came up, and not even the prospect of having to suffer watching Potter on a broom while Draco was on the ground, could dampen his excitement for the game. Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. Draco knew Hermione would cheer for her house, but it still irritated him a little.

That is until she met him in the hall way and whispered a quick 'Good luck'. Draco was in a good mood for the rest of the morning.

Again, despite his personal feelings towards Potter, he couldn't dispute the fact that Potter was an excellent flier and the sportsman in Draco desperately wanted to be up in the air with him, competing against him. Next year, he would have to get the seeker position, if only to fly against Potter.

Sad to say, he flew rings around their beaters. Draco was a little embarrassed. He spied Hermione in the crowd with Weasley and couldn't help feeling somewhat jealous. Hermione was his; he didn't want to share her with anyone.

Then suddenly there were screams from the audience and Draco glanced up to see Potter dangling of his broom one handed as it jerked about the pitch, obviously hexed.

Rage filled Draco, though he had to configure his face into a smirk for appearance sake. Someone was trying to interfere with a perfectly good game of Quidditch. That was just not right. And though Draco didn't much like Potter, he didn't want him dead, not when he hadn't yet had the chance to fly against him!