Saving the Enemy

Chapter 9

Draco

    “Hermione, sweetheart,” Draco whispers to the woman curled up to him in his lap. She raises her head from his chest, looking at him with her enchanting eyes, bloodshot from crying, but beautiful all the same.

    “Yes?” She rasps, scanning his face for something, what it is, he has no idea.

    “How about that movie?” He asks, wanting to put a smile back on that pretty face of hers. When she smiles back at him, he feels like he is on top of the world. She nods at him with that lopsided smile. Draco smiles back, unable to help himself when she jumps up from his lap to extend a hand to him. He takes it without hesitation, standing up with her as she pulls him out of the room to the couch. Hermione immediately grabs Draco’s favorite blanket and lays it over her. She looks up at him with a mischievous grin, causing him to smirk. If this is the game they are going to play, might as well play along.

    “How about this one?” Draco asks, showing her a random movie.

    “Split?” She asks him with her eyes tearing up from trying so hard not to laugh. Draco takes this as a sign that maybe this isn’t the best movie for him, but now curiosity is eating at him.

    “Yes,” Draco says, putting it into the DVD player. He looks over to Hermione to see her eyes wide, obviously impressed that he remembers from her little demonstration. His pride swells, making him smirk knowing that Hermione Granger is impressed with him. For some reason, when nobody else’s opinion matters, hers does.

    “Are you sure you’ll be able to handle it?” He hears Hermione ask mockingly in that voice one usually reservas for babies. He rolls his eyes, more determined than ever to watch this film. Nobody mocks a Malfoy and gets away with it.

    “Why would I not?”

    “Because it’s a horror film, Draco,” she says as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. Draco turns the television on, waiting for the previews to appear.

    “Is that supposed to mean something?” He asks, unsure what a horror film is. It sounds terrifying, but really, how terribly frightening can a Muggle film be?

    “It has terrifying moments, jump scares meant to frighten you witless,” she tries to explain as if it will keep him away from this challenge. Draco only smirks at her, skipping through the previews and pressing play while looking directly in her eyes, almost like a rebellious teenager.

    “I think I’ll take my chances,” Draco casually states, quite confident that he will not be scared witless. No film could make a Malfoy flinch. Draco only wraps an arm around Hermione’s shoulders, pulling her legs up so they rest on top of his and her head rests on his shoulder. He loves to be close to her, to feel her breath against him. He loves to play with her hair, to just be with her every hour, every minute after she comes come to him. He has never felt this way before about anyone, but he is certain that he fancies her more and more every day.

    What is bloody embarrassing is that Draco jumps at the film when the guy is shown about to place chloroform on the poor girl. He knew it was going to happen, but he still gripped Hermione tightly, feeling her body shake against his in silent mocking laughter, quite obviously unaffected by this all. He glares at her, trying to project the embarrassment away into confidence, but that is easier said than done. Every scream, every suspenseful moment, every creepy word that guy with something called multiple personality disorder according to Hermione, makes Draco grip the woman beside him tighter. Although he will never admit to this later, he is glad she is there, making him feel safer. It is merely a fictitious film, but for some reason it drags him in as everything is actually happening, sort of like books.