Hermione and Draco : How To Save A Life

Chapter 7 : Little Do You Know

"Well, this was weird.", Ron said when they left the dungeon.

Harry was too focused on reading the Halfblood Prince's book to care about the conversation. He even tripped on the stairs.

It was pretty weird, Hermione had to admit. But... she liked it. A lot.

"Granger !", Malfoy yelled from behind them, trying to keep up with them. Students around them started to look at the odd group, expecting trouble... but something inside Hermione told her he was not in for trouble this time.

When they turned around, it almost took her breath away. Would that feeling ever fade? Some tiny part of her hoped it would not. Draco's expression was serious, yet his eyes were a bit warmer than usually somehow.

"Do you have a second ?", he asked, not gently or anything. Deadly serious.

"No", Ron answered promptly, while Hermione said: "sure."

Her best friend gave her a look she had never seen on his face before. His mouth was opened and he stared at her with puckered eyes. Pure disbelieve was displayed on his face. He touched her arm.

"Don't be silly, Hermione."

Draco made a choking sound and acted like he was nauseous, probably because of Ron's hand on her arm. It felt wrong for her, too. So she casually brushed it off and smiled. She opened her mouth to answer, but Ron already drew his wand and made a step towards Malfoy. Hermione did her best to hold him back.

"Let's see what you look like when you're really choking, huh ?", he yelled.

Malfoy smirked cockily and elegantly drew his wand in return. There suddenly was a light in his eyes, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"Go ahead, then, Weasley," he provoked.

"No !", Hermione interfered.

Both boys did not seem to care. They just continued to stare at each other. Students around them began to whisper behind their hands.

"Why is it that every time you are close to each other, you directly draw your wands ?", she asked furiously.

"Why ?", Ron replied, "are you seriously asking me why he deserves to be jinxed ?"

He snorted.

"What did you smell in that classroom, Granger ?", Draco asked, ignoring Ron completely.

"Definitely not your cockroach smell, Malfoy", Ron answered for her and she blushed. It was only a few seconds, but Draco noticed - and smiled.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Weasel."

With those words he stepped between them to leave the stairway. Unnoticeably he put something in Hermione's cloak pocket while walking past them. It felt like parchment.

He disappeared and left Ron with a puzzled look and Hermione with a racing heart.

——
It was after dinner when Hermione left Harry and Ron to see Draco. He had indeed left a piece of parchment in her pocket and had only written a few quick and messy words on it.

quidditch locker room, 8pm.

She felt a bit like a dog who was summoned, which frustrated her. But the excitement silenced that inner voice.
The wind was warm on her cheeks and caressed her hair gently; just like Draco's breath right before...

Calm down, she thought.

There was no use lingering in memories. Even if it were such nice ones. Draco was like a tinderbox, highly explosive. But noneffective if she, well, got him wet. In a metaphorical sense. She only had to find out how. Because she could not live with his changing moods and his confusing behaviour. She was willing to go through it all with him but he had to make a choice, too. It was not acceptable for her to be stuck in a world of what-if's. She had better things to do than having to guess what Draco's mood-of-the-day was. It was easy to think like that when he was not standing next to her, when his gentle fingers did not brush her knuckles... her mind was not that steady when they were in the same room. How irritating.
When did she find herself in that situation?
Only a week ago they had been enemies and now they recognised each other in the most powerful love potion in existence. She was in way too deep to stop it now, even if she had wanted to do so. And what frustrated her the most was how she could not explain any of this, how her feelings towards Draco stood for anything she was not - illogical, dangerous and yet... passionate. He could be so very, very mean... and he had called her so many things over the years, torturing her and her friends. But that was in the past, was it not ?