the other || dramione

3

'Hermione are you all right?' Harry asked me the next morning at breakfast. 'You seem a bit distant'

I looked at him and smiled fakely. 'I'm fine' I lied. I had spent hours trying to get to sleep and the sleep hadn't cleared my mind at all. I turned to look at the Slytherin table. Draco was looking at the Gryffindor table and looked away when he saw me looking. Or did I imagine that. I turned back to my table.

'Is it because of Ron?' asked Harry.

I glared at him. 'Why does everyone seem to think I have a problem with Ron? I couldn't care less who he dates. I've got other things going on' I stood up and walked out of the Great Hall. I knew exactly why everyone thought I was distant because of Ron, after all it was 'obvious to everyone but him' but it wasn't Ron stuck on my mind now. It was Draco. People say actions speak louder than words but his actions last night had left me completely confused. I wished I could forget about him, but I couldn't. I couldn't get how scared he'd looked the night before out of my head. I headed for the library and tried reading to take my mind off him. It didn't work, and before long I left the library again. Draco and his friends were just passing as I left the library.

'Hi Draco' I had spoken before I had thought.

Draco glared at me. It hurt to have him looking at me like that. I realised then how I felt, I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to be with him. 'How are you?'

'I'm fine, Granger, why wouldn't I be?' he replied, and his friends sniggered as they walked away.

'I think the mud blood has a crush on you, Draco' one of his friends laughed.

It was a slight comfort knowing Draco didn't say anything bad about me, but at the same time it hurt that he didn't defend me. I would've defended him, wouldn't I? I wasn't so sure. I was about to turn and walk back to the Gryffindor tower when Draco turned back.

'Sorry' he mouthed.

I smiled, comforted more that he'd turned back. Surely that showed last night meant something didn't it? I sighed, it was clear that whether Draco liked me or not, he wasn't going to be civil in front of anyone else. Deep down I knew I shouldn't try and chase someone who didn't want to be seen with me, but in my heart I couldn't let what happened the night before go unexplained. I needed to try and get Draco alone, somehow.

Draco's POV

Why did she do that? Why did I do that? I had been such a coward. Did she realise that I didn't say anything about her? Did she realise that I couldn't stop thinking about her? Ugh, this was getting ridiculous, I sounded like a love sick teenager. Maybe I sounded like that because that's what I was, but that wasn't the point, it's wrong. I can't turn my back on everything I've been the whole time I've been here. Why did she have to speak to me? Why didn't she listen to me when I said 'this didn't happen'? Doesn't she know I'm too much of a coward to change? I'm too used to everything how it is, and I can't change that.

Even though part of me wants her. Part of me wants to go against everything and not care what anyone things and just get with her, but the part of me that couldn't do that was stronger.

'Can you believe her?' Patsy said, complete disbelief in her voice.

Well yes, actually, Patsy I can. In fact it's not really surprising considering last night I had my heart on my sleeve and told her this was the truth before I kissed her. I had the sense not to actually say that. I didn't say anything. I didn't trust myself to speak, I knew if I did I would either say something against Hermione, or I would start defending her, both of which at this point I didn't want to do, and there was no middle point. There was no way I could say something that appeared neutral.

'I mean what gives a mud blood like her the right to try and have a normal discussion with you' Patsy was too busy ranting about it, to actually notice I wasn't saying anything. 'I mean you'd think after six years she'd have learnt that she's...'

I stopped listening. I hated the way she sounded so disgusted, but what I hated more was that for years I had acted exactly like that. I had treated Hermione like dirt, just like Patsy was now talking about her like she was dirt. And then I went and got feelings for her. I didn't even know when I stopped hating Hermione and started liking her. It was all so complicated. Girls are so complicated.

Hermione POV

'Miss Granger? Are you with us?'

No sir, I'm not, I'm back in last night when the guy I thought was my enemy kissed me. I was barely even aware of what lesson I was in, and I had no idea what I had just been asked. This was stupid; I was acting so out of character for myself. Even when I liked Ron I had still been ale to concentrate on lessons. If anything when I liked Ron I threw myself into my work even more to stop thinking about him. Apparently that wasn't going to work with Draco.

The teacher repeated the question and I resisted the urge to stare at him blankly. 'I don't know, sir' I answered.

A gasp ran through the whole class, even Harry stared at me in shock. I sighed and only just stopped myself from rolling my eyes. I didn't know everything, even though it probably appeared like I did some of the time. I had to be honest, the chances were I did know the answer to what I had just been asked, but I couldn't think about it. I looked around the class, an annoyed glare on my face and everyone stopped staring at me, as someone else answered the question.

I made a mental note that I was going to find Draco as soon as this lesson was over and speak to him, even if I had to drag him away from his friends. As soon as I thought that, though, I knew I wouldn't drag him away from his friends, I had made enough of a spectacle of myself today.